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Cockatrice
A Cockatrice is an ornithosaur, also known as a "skoffin". : "Cockatrices are born of eggs laid by roosters consorting with other roosters. The egg must be incubated for forty-four days by a toad, which is devoured by the little beast as soon as it hatches. A cockatrice hates everything that lives so fiercely that its glance turns the living to stone. Only a bold adventurer with a mirror can deflect its deadly gaze and defeat the cockatrice." Location * Sewers * Cave in the Swamp Source * Siegfried * Ornithosaurs Notes * Their remains will not contain their feathers until you have this bestiary entry. * The Beast of the Sewers encountered as part of the Prison Break quest is a Greater cockatrice, and therefore different from the creature described above. It is also one of the two trophy quests in Chapter II, and the only story-required trophy quest in the whole game. Foolish superstitions claim cockatrices, like basilisks, can kill with their gaze alone. That is utter nonsense, however, a cockatrice’s gaze being no more dangerous than that of an angry goose. One should instead watch out for its sharp beak and long tail, which it can whip to murderous effect. Cockatrices thrive in dark caves, abandoned ruins, cobwebbed dungeons and old basements. Though small compared to griffins and manticores, they are more than capable of killing anyone who stumbles across them in a dark corridor. Cockatrices do not shun direct fights, in which they strike furiously with wing and tail in an attempt to exhaust their foes. Blows from their beaks are especially dangerous, as they aim with deadly precision at exposed flesh and vital organs and leave bleeding, life-threatening wounds. When fighting them one should make liberal use of draconid oil as well as Grapeshot, whose shrapnel will pierce their delicate wings with ease. Combat Tactics Cockatrices fight aggressively once a fight has begun. Take advantage of this aggression and ground them with Aard or Grapeshot. A crossbow can also bring them down to earth should they attempt to fly, but unlike a basilisk or griffin, cockatrices tend to favor fighting on land. A cockatrice strikes with talons on its wings and feet, and its razor-sharp beak and tail tip. These blows almost always target vital region on a victim, causing massive bleeding that leads to inevitable death. A Witcher should have the Swallow potion on hand to counteract any wounds sustained from a cockatrice. Always try to flank a cockatrice. Being in front of it exposes one to its beak and talons. It is possible, with excellent timing, to counter-attack blows from the wing talons or even from the beak, but a witcher puts themselves in grave danger to do this. When grounded, a cockatrice will try to remain close to its prey. Should a victim attempt escape on foot, a cockatrice can leap astonishing distances to attempt tackling the target. cs:Kurolišek de:Gorgo es:Gallotriz fr:Cocatrix hu:Kukorix it:Cockatrice lt:Gaidikslis pl:Kuroliszek ru:Кокатрикс Category:Creatures Category:The Witcher Chapter II Category:The Witcher Chapter III Category:The Witcher bestiary Category:The Witcher 3 monsters